Gurgaon: GMDA has asked Gurgaon Metro Rail Ltd (GMRL) to examine whether an elevated road can be built alongside a proposed metro corridor on Old Railway Road, a move aimed at easing chronic congestion in the old city.The directive was issued at a meeting chaired by GMDA chief executive officer PC Meena on Monday to review the alignment of elevated road corridors planned alongside two upcoming metro projects — the Millennium City Centre-Cyber City line and Gurgaon railway station-Bhondsi corridor. Senior officials from GMRL and Haryana Mass Rapid Transport Corporation (HMRTC) attended the review.Stressing the need for coordinated planning, Meena said road and metro infrastructure must be designed together to avoid bottlenecks in the future. “Unified planning of GMDA’s road infrastructure with the proposed metro corridor along Old Railway Road and Gurgaon railway station-Bhondsi stretch was discussed, with emphasis on conserving right of way to meet future metro ridership and road traffic needs,” he said.Officials said the agencies agreed to explore integrated solutions that could accommodate both an elevated road and metro infrastructure within the same corridor. But the biggest hurdle is space — especially along the densely built-up Old Railway Road, where the right of way is already tight.People familiar with the discussions said GMRL flagged reservations over GMDA’s proposal for a four-lane elevated road from Rajiv Chowk towards the railway station, looping near the Sector 5 junction and connecting near Atul Kataria Chowk. The 7.4km project is estimated to cost about Rs 750 crore.Metro officials said the railway station-Bhondsi corridor could not be taken underground and would have to be elevated. The Millennium City Centre-Cyber City line is also planned as an elevated corridor, with interchange stations proposed at Sector 5 and Subhash Chowk. Both lines are planned to share a common depot at Sector 33. Officials said taking the metro underground would require an additional depot and more land for the interchange at Sector 5.GMDA, meanwhile, is planning the Rajiv Chowk–Atul Kataria Chowk elevated road with multiple entry and exit ramps. The Old Railway Road stretch between Rajiv Chowk and Sector 5 overlaps with the proposed alignment of the Bhondsi-railway station metro corridor, and GMDA has already initiated the tendering process to prepare the detailed project report (DPR) for the road.HMRTC officials cautioned that fitting two elevated structures into the same corridor may be near-impossible in parts. “The available right of way is already constrained, and the road width further reduces at several locations. Developing both structures in an elevated form will be challenging,” an HMRTC official said.Officials also pointed to complications like differences in levels, alignment conflicts and criss-crossing structures, particularly around the Sector 5 junction. In some stretches, the narrow carriageway leaves little room for additional pillars or ramps.While GMRL suggested exploring underground road sections instead of an elevated road, GMDA raised concerns over utility shifting and construction challenges.
